mt 30-30

[cattleskinner]

I was wondering if you could tell me about that short 30-30 rifle you have.  I have been thinking about making one like that over the past couple of months after seeing the picture of it in the back of your truck.  Could you tell me how you cut the barrel down, how tall of a front sight you have, how it shoots/carries/loads you use/etc...  At least one inquiring mind wants to know!  Thank you.

-Amos

[mt3030]

When I planned my 30-30 Handi Carbine I decided on 18 inch due to the fact I once had a Marlin lever with that tube.  (I had done a 16 inch 223 and didn't care for it.) Had the barrel cut and recrowned with a target profile by a local 'Smith. I had mounted a Williams rear WGRS-H&R sight, and requested the proper Williams ramp and insert for the front. I have no idea what the part numbers or heights were. I just left it to the 'Smith, and he got it right. Later decided I wanted to scope it, so installed a Burris 2x7. It has worked very well on whites and mules.
It loves both Winchester 150s and 170s Silvertips. I used these to start my testing, and the results were so good I never even bothered with other factory loads. For handloads, it perfers Hornady 130 ssts. All will shoot into 1.25 MOA.
The first photo shows it in its old stocks, second photo shows it after a recent change in stocks.

[cattleskinner]

Thank you for the detailed explanation! I was also wondering how well that rifle handled recoil with the old and new stocks attached.

-Amos

[mt3030]

With the green stocks, recoil was all but unnoticable. Have not shot it yet with the BC strocks, but don't think it will be any problem. I have shot many rounds thru un-padded 30-30s. Recoil is very subjective.  After hunting with 300 and 350 Winchesters for years, 30-30s and 30-40s are sweet! Here two of my other un-padded 30-30s.

[quickdtoo]

Love them tacks, Wally!! Reminds me of my buckskinnin days, I had a bunch of tacks in my NW Trade gun!!   Hmmmm, maybe I'll just have to dress up a Handi, or better yet, a BC!!!!

Tim

[tallyho]

Hey Wally,
Nice lookin' toys ya got there! (I particularly liked the BC on the carbine  I may try that meself one day!)

I have a question however about the Handi Carbine with the scope... Since you have a straight stock on it, how's your cheek weld using the scope? I have, and had some with straight stocks and I've always put open or aperture sights on them.

Its always felt a bit awkward to me with a scope on a straight stocked gun, even though I prefer the look of a straight stock.

Cheers
Kerry

[mt3030]

Tim:
Ya, those brass tacks are distinctive. When those Stars were imported from Spain, there were two models. The standard, with no tacks, and the "Apache", which had the tacks. They were available in 30-30 Winchester and 44 Rem mag. I have never seen one of the 44s yet, but I keep looking. (Just noticed, two more of those straight grip buttstocks. I guess I really do have a fetish for them!)

You might have an idea there. The plain jane pallet stocks might benefit from a little decoration! And if it didn't work, you would have minimum invested.

Kerry:
I don't seem to have a problems with scoping a non-combed stock. I guess it's a personal thing. I don't worry or even think of cheek weld. After you kill something a few times and build some confidence in your gear, I think it isn't as big of an issue as it is at the range. It also might be due to the fact that I hunted from 12 to 25 with nothing but a Winchester Model 94 (30-30 of course!) and SMLEs. None of them had combed stocks or scopes.

[tallyho]

Yeah,
I started with a Jungle Carbine .303, then graduated (?) to a mod 94 30/30 before ending up with my dad's Husqvarna lightweight in .308 Win. I went back to something with more weight after that (another .303 in a Parker Hale conversion) - I was a skinny kid couldn't handle the recoil of the Husky, but I sure wish I had kept it now!

I agree about the lack of awareness of cheek weld while hunting. My first whitetail was with a scoped Topper 158 in 30/30 and my first Coastal Blactail with one of the nickled Handis (also scoped) in .357. Neither seemed to be a problem at the time.

Cheers
Kerry